


still woozy

by haders



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Endgame Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Jealous Eddie Kaspbrak, M/M, Oblivious Richie Tozier, Panic Attacks, Pining, Post-IT Chapter Two (2019), Reddie, gay pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:20:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22203232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haders/pseuds/haders
Summary: The ol' Eddie goes to live with Richie after divorcing Myra trope. This time Richie's got a boyfriend at home.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Richie Tozier/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 103





	still woozy

**Author's Note:**

> titled after wolfcat by still woozy.   
> @hadersz on tumblr

“You can come stay with me,” Richie had said. “If anything happens, if you just need a break from New York, or you’re just looking for an escape.” 

“Be serious, Richie,” Eddie said with a wheezy laugh, grabbing his hand and squeezing. 

“I mean it, Eds,” he assured him, eyes wide and sincere. “Anything you need, just call or text or, I mean, fuck, just show up at my door and I’ll be there.”

“Sure, Richie,” Eddie said with a fond smile. “Whatever you say.”

After Neibolt, Richie had been at the hospital every day by Eddie’s side, that is, until Eddie’s wife, Myra, showed up. At that point, Richie had abruptly gone home to LA, without so much as a goodbye. 

After he was released from the hospital, the rest of the losers went their separate ways and Eddie went back home to New York with Myra. There was a group text with the losers, but beyond that, Eddie hadn’t really heard from Richie.

Myra was hovering, more so than before his hospital stint, turning more and more into Sonia Kaspbrak as the days passed. He was having panic attacks nearly every night, leaving their bedroom to hide in the guest room. He would even lock the bathroom door, taking multiple showers a day just to get away from his helicopter wife. He only lasted another six months before he wanted a divorce. 

That’s where he was now. Spontaneous is not really the Kaspbrak way, but Eddie needed a way out of New York, just like Richie predicted. He needed a way out. He needed an escape. And Richie was always the one who gave him that, whether through laughs or just with a yank of his arm and a toothy grin, “c’mon, Eddie, you worry too much!”

That morning he woke up, turned off his phone, packed a bag, went to the airport, and hopped on a plane to Los Angeles. He was going to take Richie up on that offer from six months ago.

Eddie adjusted the strap of his duffle bag over his shoulder as he shifted his weight from foot to foot at Richie’s front door. He did _offer_ for Eddie to stay with him back at the hospital. _He did, right?_ He didn’t imagine that. But it’s not like he _told_ Richie he was coming. What’s the worst that can happen?

He huffed a breath and knocked on the door, three taps as his anxious mind took over. _He says no and… you can just get a hotel room. Maybe call Bill? What’s the worst that can happen?_ He says no. 

The door swung open and a man that was definitely not Richie stood in front of him, well, _towered_ over him. He was tall, short dark hair swept back, hazel eyes, wearing a slate blue t-shirt, black bomber jacket, and dark wash jeans. “Hey, man, can I help you?” His voice was deep, gruff. 

Eddie shut his jaw and bristled. “I, uh, sorry, must have the wrong address,” he stammered, turning to leave, but a quick glance to the driveway made him hesitate on the step. That _was_ Richie’s car in the driveway, right? His heart pounded, anxiety taking over, until he heard a voice from behind the man.

“Uh, stranger danger, Chris. Do you need rescuing?” _Richie_. 

“I didn’t take you for the mothering type,” the man, Chris, turned to laugh over his shoulder. 

“Ngh, are you going to start calling me ‘mommy’ now? Gotta say, that’s a turn off for me.” Arms came up behind Chris and wrapped around his waist as Richie’s head came up to rest his chin on his shoulder, finally making eye contact with—

“Eds?” Richie’s arms dropped away from Chris immediately.

“Yeah, uh, hey, Richie,” he couldn’t help but glance between the two. 

“Not the wrong address then,” Chris said with a smirk, opening the door further and stepping back.

Richie brushed past him, stepping out onto the front step with Eddie and wrapping him in his arms. Eddie hesitated for a second, but eventually hugged him back. Richie buried his head in his best friends neck and breathed deep. Eddie’s nose was crushed into his shoulder, but he didn’t seem to mind. All of his anxieties from earlier seemed to melt away from one Tozier bear hug. He missed him.

Richie pulled back, laughing. “What the fuck are you doing in LA?”

“I, uh, well,” Eddie continued to stammer.

“Care to introduce me to your friend, Rich?” Chris piped up behind them. Richie jumped and spun around with a wide grin on his face.

“Deepest apologies, Sir Christopher.”

“Not the British guy again,” Chris interrupted with a fond smile.

“Introducing Sir Edward Kaspbrak of Bum-Fuck-Nowhere, Maine!” He grabbed Eddie’s hand and held it up before taking a bow. “My best chap from the olden days,” he continued as Eddie wrenched his hand from him and extended it to Chris.

“Eddie,” he introduced with a firm shake.

“Chris, Richie’s…” he started, but then looked over Eddie’s shoulder in question to Richie. 

“My boyfriend,” Richie piped in, dropping the accent, and watching Eddie cautiously to see how he reacts. 

“Wow, _boyfriend_ ,” Eddie blinked, glancing back at Richie, clasping both his hands around Chris’s. 

Truth was, Eddie never knew Richie to date. In middle school, high school, Richie never went to a school dance with anyone, never even really talked about crushes. He would loudly make jokes about Mrs. Kaspbrak every day of the week, but he didn’t really talk much about girls their own age. So, if Eddie sat and thought about it, it wasn’t _really_ a surprise and he didn’t even blink twice. 

“Yikes, how are you holding up with this mess?”

Richie barked a laugh, the tension seeming to leave him at his friend’s quip, and wrapped his arm around Eddie’s shoulder. “I prefer _hot_ mess,” Richie corrected. 

“M’never bored,” Chris quipped back with a smile. “You grew up with Rich, then? He still the same from childhood?”

“Yeah, I’d say so,” Eddie replied with a smirk. 

“Yeah, yeah, you can both trash me later,” Richie pushed in between them both, wrapping his arms around Chris’s shoulder as well. “Let’s go in. Show you around _casa del Tozier_.”

Chris rolled his eyes and stepped back, holding the door open for them to enter. Immediately, Eddie was surprised. The place was _immaculate_ , which didn’t seem like Richie at all. Eddie remembers seeing Richie’s childhood room from Derry on very few occasions. He feared the air quality in the room would give him an asthma attack if he stayed in it for too long. Dirty dishes stacked high, dust years in the making, dirty laundry strewn about and hanging from the closet door and curtain rods… This was different and suddenly it clicked.

_They live together. Christ._

Richie took Eddie’s duffle from his shoulder and placed it at the front door. Eddie felt a lump in his throat he couldn’t quite swallow. Why was he acting like this? Richie was his best friend. He should be happy for him. 

“Eddie, do you want tea, coffee, water?” Chris asked as he started walking to the entryway of the kitchen. 

“Um, water, would be great, thanks,” Eddie said, instantly feeling guilty about imposing. He turned to Richie, “I didn’t mean to impose on—”

“Nonsensical, Ed Spaghet,” Richie said with a grin. “It’s great to see you. Thought I would never see you again, if I’m honest. What brought on the impromptu cross-country trip?” 

“Uh, well Myra and I, we…” 

Chris came back with a glass of water and handed it to Eddie, who gulped. 

“Sorry, did I interrupt something?”

“No, I—” Eddie began, as Richie interrupted.

“Well, he was just about to tell me about his tragic divorce, so yeah, a bit.”

“Rich!” Chris, swatted at his arm, horrified.

“What?! It’s true!”

“No, I— it’s fine, honestly, that was easier than I thought,” Eddie said with a nervous laugh. 

“Well, come sit and tell me about it, Kaspbrak,” Richie ushered them over to the sofas in the living room. Eddie took a seat on the sofa opposite Richie and Chris, who were sitting close, thighs touching, practically sharing a cushion on a three-person couch. 

Eddie took a sip of his water, grabbed a coaster — _Richie Tozier had coasters?!_ — from the center of the coffee table and placed his glass down. 

“There isn’t much to say,” Eddie started, wringing his hands in his lap. Despite his humor, Richie looked concerned, leaning forward a bit. “Filed for divorce and just couldn’t stay in New York anymore, you know? Needed a change. And well, you really talked up LA last time I saw you, so I thought I would try it out.” 

“Talked it up, huh?” Chris asked with a smile. “How long were you married, Eddie?”

“Oh, about twelve years,” Eddie said, taking another drink of water. 

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Chris murmured genuinely. He glanced at Richie, waiting for him to offer condolences, but he was just staring at Eddie, still in shock he was there in his living room.

“It’s okay, really,” Eddie tore his gaze from Richie and looked back at Chris with a smile. 

“Nice to see Richie has found someone,” he continued. “Sorry if I was a little shocked earlier, but you can sort of imagine… I mean, him being how he is and everything,” Eddie struggled to finish a quip, so he opted for small talk, “how did you both meet?” He had to really concentrate on keeping his smile from becoming a grimace. 

Chris lit up at the question, hands squeezing Richie’s forearm. “Well we _met_ nearly five years ago at one of his shows downtown. I was in the front and he pointed me out of the crowd to make fun of me in front of the whole audience.” 

“Tease you,” Richie corrected, seeming to snap out of his shock to tune back into the narrative. “To be fair, you were talking over my act.”

“It was _rancid_ ,” Chris piped in. 

“I wasn’t writing my own material!” Richie laughed. “You’re right it was.”

“Anyway, after the show he jumped down from the stage, he bought me a drink, and we just talked all night. We’ve been friends ever since, but after he came back from Maine,” Chris began and then paused with fondness at the memory. “I just opened up my door one night and he was there, kissing me, begging me to move in with him.”

“Wow,” was all Eddie could say. He felt like he was going to be sick. 

“Ngh, you always tell it wrong,” Richie pouted. 

“What was wrong about that?”

“ _Begged_ you? Hardly even had to ask, in fact, I think you were the one begging me!”

“In your dreams, Tozier,” Chris said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. He rolled his eyes as Richie made a big show of wiping the kiss from his cheek. 

“Where are you staying?” Richie asked, turning back to Eddie. 

“Well, I didn’t really think that far ahead and,” Eddie was trying desperately to keep his voice from wavering. What we he going to say? _Remember when you said I could come live with you? Whenever I needed it? Well can I crash with you and your boyfriend? Not sure for how long, really._ “And I thought I would head over to you, ask some locals the best spot.” 

“There is a Marriott about a mile west,” Chris suggested. “Have you been to LA before?” 

“First time,” Eddie confessed.

“Oh, well maybe not this far out then, you probably want to be closer to some of the hot spots, do some sightseeing,” Chris mused, pulling out his phone from his jacket pocket and unlocking it, to start looking up hotels. 

“Stay here,” Richie blurted out.

“What?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah, _what?_ ” Chris repeated.

“We have a guest room,” Richie explained. 

“No, really, I couldn’t impose,” Eddie started, putting his hands up in surrender as he looked at Chris. 

“Rich,” Chris warned.

“No way am I making you pay for a hotel with your heart broken like it is,” Richie said with a smirk. “Of course you can crash here, Eds! It will really help my publicist, if I’m honest. She’s been trying to find something to make me look better. Taking in a sad divorcee down on his luck? Gold.”

“Beep beep,” Eddie said with a smile. “I mean, I would love to, but only if it’s okay with you, too, Chris.”

“Please!” Richie yelped, getting to his knees in front of Chris, holding both of his hands. “Please, daddy, can we keep him?” 

“Beep beep, Richie,” Eddie cringed. He really didn’t want to hear Richie calling anyone _daddy_. 

“Don’t kink shame me, Kaspbrak,” he retorted. Chris seemed to give Richie a knowing look. A warning. A _we’ll-talk-about-this-later_ look.

“Yeah, of course you can stay, Eddie,” he said, lifting his gaze from his boyfriend with a smile that seemed _almost_ genuine. Richie gasped and began peppering his hands and fingers with kisses. “I’ll have to remake the guest room bed. We haven’t done the sheets in a while.”

“Oh no, please don’t,” Eddie interrupted, wincing a bit at all the kissy noises Richie was making. “I’m sure it’s fine!”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m starving. Do you want to order something, Rich?” Chris asked, standing up and stepping over Richie to walk toward the hall. “And get off the floor, you’re too old for that. Your poor knees.” 

“Fuck my knees,” Richie retorted, then winced at the bad quip. “I have a better one in here somewhere,” he grumbled, rubbing his forehead, as he stood up and his knees popped. “Pizza okay with you, Eds?”

“Yeah, yeah, pizza’s fine,” Eddie replied with a smile, looking back at the hands in his lap. He can just call Bill tomorrow. He can stay with Bill and then maybe get a hotel before leaving again. He’ll go. 

**Author's Note:**

> should i write more? anyone reading this? lol


End file.
